If your collision was caused by an emergency vehicle, you may still be entitled to compensation if you’ve been injured due to negligence.
According to Missouri state law, if you are the victim of a car accident, you are generally entitled to compensation from the at-fault party. However, proving liability is not simple if the other party is an emergency vehicle.
Emergency vehicles include ambulances, police cars, fire trucks, and similar cars. Their purpose is to respond to critical situations and provide aid. Because these matters are often very time-sensitive, legally speaking, emergency vehicles do not have to respect ordinary traffic regulations when responding to an emergency.
As such, emergency vehicles can go over the speed limit, run a red light, and ignore certain traffic signs when on an official call.
Love my car accident lawyer. This law firm is a step above.
This auto accident law firm is incredible!! Very accomplished lawyers!
Serious family member have a car accident injury? Look no further. This litigator is for real. Always two steps ahead of the other lawyer.
This lawyer handles really big accident cases in St Louis. He is a lawyer, accountant and has his masters in tax so he gets the injury cases for individuals that can never go back to work or individuals own a business and cannot run it due to injury. He specializes in valuations of massive loss. Thank goodness a firm like this exists.
You are a great lawyer! Thank you.
Asked a trauma surgeon who operates on car accident victims who are the best injury lawyers that have taken his deposition. He said “by far” it was Mr Hoffmann. Interviewed several attorneys and this was a correct assessment. In a league of his own!
My aunt was in a major automobile accident. Our family interviewed several lawyers. This one stood out about them all. It was a great choice!
Few lawyers in St. Louis can handle the biggest injury cases! This is one of them!
Response from the owner: Our law firm has made great efforts in terms of training to handle life changing injury cases. Whether in depth knowledge of the medical, loss of income and earning capacity, or lifetime medical care plans, our clients feel confident and know their case is in good hands. Thank you for the compliment.
Cannot say enough about this lawyer. Call if in an accident. This attorney handles the biggest car accidents in St Louis.
Response from the owner: Thanks Ash! Our biggest source of cases is our clients. Our second biggest referral source is defense lawyers telling their relatives to call us. Few lawyers can handle the largest cases. Our law firm welcomes and has trained for this. We don’t do mass production settlement like the lawyers on TV. Our clients can never go back to work. Their cases need massive focus and effort and often long fought litigation.
So glad I called attorney Hoffmann. This time I got it right! So glad I hired the Hoffmann Law Firm - professional, reliable and available.
Response from the owner: Thanks Taylor. Our lawyers answer the phone day, night, weekends and even during lunch. Being professional means training to beat the best defense lawyers. Client rely on us to get results and we do.
Great lawyer. Cares about his clients, knows his stuff and goes the extra mile. I recommend this lawyer for car wreck injury claim. Every other lawyer on TV would not even help with my property claim. This attorney did.
Response from the owner: Thank you for the kind words. Every case starts with a great client. You are correct the car accident lawyers on TV are mass production settlement mills. When injury clients fire them, we get their files and the cases are not worked up at all. Appreciate your confidence in us!
Major car accident injury in St Louis area for a family member. Four different lawyers we know said the same thing - call Chris Hoffmann. On another level.
Response from the owner: This is such a great compliment. Most of our cases come from prior client or lawyers that also do car accidents cases but the particular case is too large or too difficult. Being a lawyer and an accountant, we specialize in cases with total lost of income, earning capacity and/or often the inability to continue a family business. Evaluations such as these are second nature for our lawyers. Thanks.
Best in St Louis for auto accident cases. Nobody else is even close.
Response from the owner: So kind of you to leave this review. Whether our lawyers are going after big insurance or their lawyers, skill and experience are essential and win the day for our auto accident clients. Thanks!
This attorney is very smart, very experienced, returns phone calls and knows the answers when asked. One call and I knew this was a great law firm for auto accidents.
Response from the owner: Our law firm appreciates this. This is a comment we get from so many people who call…”none of the lawyers we called told me all the things that you did.” Whether we take a car accident case or not, helping people is a good thing.
5 Star Lawyer for sure! Best you will find in Saint Louis.
Response from the owner: Thanks for the 5 Star Rating. Reviews like this are great. Injury victims quickly figure out the TV advertisers are not good. We work hard at being the best we can be and it reflects in our representation of car accident victims.
Watch this lawyer in action. Was way better than all the others. Get this lawyer for an automobile accident for sure.
Response from the owner: Thanks for the recommendation. Besides doing cases, our attorneys train for this. Hard work, case knowledge and technique is key to success in car accident litigation.
Very pleased with The Hoffmann Law Firm. Lawyers are attentive, friendly and go the distance to force the settlement you want. The TV lawyers recommend low offers. This law firm gets the maximum.
Response from the owner: We get calls from car accident victims that had to fire the TV lawyers that they hired. They give the same two reasons: 1) they never spoke to a lawyer at the Big TV law firms, only a paralegal, and 2) the paralegal recommended they accept a low offer. At our law firm, you only talk to the lawyer and if an offer is low we tell you to sue. Thanks!
You will love this car accident lawyer.
Response from the owner: You are the best! Thanks for the review. Our attorneys work hard but it all starts with a great client.
Several lawyers said to call this lawyer because he is the best. You will appreciate this law firm. Helped with the injury and property claims. Attentive and knowledgeable. Great reputation in St Louis.
Response from the owner: Thanks Lexi. Our #1 source of cases is other lawyers referring us cases that are too big for them to handle.
Would use this accident law firm. Best in Saint Louis. Highly rated and it shows. After one phone call, you just know this attorney is better. 5 Stars!!
Response from the owner: Thanks for recommending our lawyers in St Louis. There is a major difference in lawyers as you well know.
Great law firm thanks Leah for the referral
Response from the owner: Appreciate you recommending our law firm. Car accident litigation is all we do and specializing allows us to focus.
Car accident lawyers on tv are not good . Get this attorney ! He is a pro !!
Response from the owner: Thanks Nathan. TV lawyers market for car accidents, use paralegals instead of lawyers and give their employees settlement quotas hence forcing cheap settlements. At our law firm, you get a lawyer who keeps pushing forward for more.
A+ attorney. Smart. Helpful. Great for automobile accident cases. Located in saint louis, missouri. Use him!
Response from the owner: Thanks. Car accident cases are difficult without the right attorney and great clients. Much appreciated.
Quality lawyer. Best law firm for a car accident. Advice was way better than other lawyers I called in St. Louis. Helped with property and injury.
Response from the owner: Thanks. The TV lawyer advertisers are just car accident settlement mills. As soon as people call a real attorney, they always tell us how much better and more helpful we were. Appreciate this.
Get this lawyer if you have an automobile accident. Simply the best!
Response from the owner: Thanks Lizzy. Recommendations from other is the best way to find a car accident attorney.
This lawyer is big time. Smooth. The other lawyers on the other side were not nearly as good as this attorney. I recommend friends in St Louis to him for accident injuries and they all say the same thing…”that lawyer is great.”
Response from the owner: Very nice of you to say. Our lawyers work hard on auto accident cases.
Family used this car accident attorney after a crash. Located in St Louis. This lawyer answers the phone and will walk you through the process. Knows his stuff!
Response from the owner: Taking calls, going over the car accident injury and property process is important. Clients that call always say we are the only lawyers that explained everything. Much appreciated.
Tried the lawyers on TV. They were not good. Hired this car accident lawyer instead because he had great reviews. The reviews are correct. This attorney is as good as they get. He does big injury cases that need to be litigated.
Response from the owner: Car accident lawyers on TV do not litigate cases. It is mass production. They have quotas. Local attorneys are best on auto accidents.
Very very good at injury claims for car wrecks. Use this St Louis attorney. Two thumbs up!
Response from the owner: Thanks for the review! All we do is accidents. When you specialize, your knowledge base and practice skills grow. Thanks!
Used this attorney for an auto accident. Highly recommend this lawyer in St. Louis. Communicates well.
Response from the owner: Communicating with clients is essential. Taking the client though the car accident claims process is important otherwise major mistakes can occur. It is an effort that we make. Thanks!
Best for car accidents in St Louis. Use this attorney.
Response from the owner: Thanks. Great clients make for great cases!
This lawyer is great for car accident injury claims. Did an uninsured motorist case. Very good attorney.
Response from the owner: Car accidents can be insured or uninsured. The claims are much different. Thanks for the review.
Great lawyer if you are in an auto accident. I recommend this attorneys office.
Response from the owner: Thanks J. Glad we got your auto accident case completed and that for telling others about our lawyers.
Very good car accident attorney. Did my and my relatives claims and paperwork. Highly recommend.
Response from the owner: Thanks for recommending our law firm on car accident cases.
Fantastic law firm, I would recommend! Received free consultation related to an auto accident when my parked car was damaged by a baseball. Very supportive advice, these guys are good!
Response from the owner: Thank you!
Recommend this attorney for auto accidents.
Response from the owner: Thanks for recommending our attorneys for an automobile accident.
Best St Louis lawyer for car accidents.
Response from the owner: Thanks Tana. Appreciate this!
Great Lawyer!!
Response from the owner: Thank you
I was in a car accident in St.Louis and hired Chris as my lawyer. He was amazing!!! He helped me every step of the way and was able to get me a great settlement!!!Highly, highly, highly recommend him!
Response from the owner: Each step is important in a car accident. Thanks for recommending us for car accidents injury claims.
If you have an auto accident and need an attorney in St Louis, I recommend Mr Hoffmann.
Response from the owner: Appreciate this James and you did great as well. Car accident claims always start with a good client.
Great car accident lawyer. Did a very good job on my injury case. Thanks!
Response from the owner: Thanks. Appreciate the compliment. All we do is car accident litigation.
Very accomplished accident attorney in Saint Louis. 5 stars for sure!
Response from the owner: Thanks
A car accident lawyer I would recommend to anyone.
Response from the owner: Thanks. That is great of you to say about our lawyers.
Great car accident attorney!!
Response from the owner: Thanks
When I had my accident he was very professional, honest and caring to me and my family it wasn't about the money it was about the care, he made sure me and my kids were took care of and I really appreciate it this is a gexcellant law firm also his secretary is the best,so I would like to say thank you chris for everything melinda .
Response from the owner: Thank you
Great car accident lawyer in St. Louis. This is a very good car accident lawyer in St. Lious. Takes phone calls. Listens. Experienced in injury litigation.
Response from the owner: Thanks Maddie. Our law firm brings experience to the table on car accident cases.
The Responsibilities of the Other Driver
Legally, drivers are required to yield the right-of-way to police, fire trucks, ambulances, and other emergency vehicles when these are using a siren. When drivers hear these signals and see the emergency vehicles in the rear mirror, they must pull over to the right edge of the road or as near the right as possible. If at an intersection, vehicles must drive through it and then pull over. Cars will remain in position until the emergency vehicles pass.
Emergency vehicles have the right of way, but only when they use sirens or air horns, which signals that they are responding to a critical situation and must proceed rapidly. If not, these vehicles must respect the traffic regulations like any other driver.
By that logic, two different situations can arise: being hit by an emergency vehicle while in action and being hit by one under normal circumstances. Unfortunately, liability and asking for compensation can be tricky in each case.
The Penalties for the Drivers Who Don’t Respect the Law
We have laws to keep people safe. The rules on the road sometimes seem more strict, but that’s because the risk of unpleasant incidents is quite high.
According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the state had a 75% injury rate per 100 million miles traveled in 2015 and a 1.2% death rate that same year. The data shows that these rates fluctuate considerably from year to year. That’s because legislation changes to keep up with the times and make these accidents less frequent.
One such rule of law is Missouri’s “Slow Down, Move Over” provision, created in 2002 and expended in 2012. Its goal is to provide a safer way of passage for emergency vehicles such as police cars or ambulances, which are often required to ignore traffic regulations to respond to emergencies.
What Does the Law Say?
In a nutshell, drivers in Missouri must approach emergency vehicles cautiously whenever they display the red and blue lighting, signaling their active duty. The same principle applies to drivers approaching vehicles owned by the state highways and transportation commission. Drivers must change lanes away from the signaling car on a multi-lane road, but only if they can safely do so. If not, they must slow down to a safe speed to avoid disturbing traffic.
Penalties
According to the Missouri statutes, breaking the Slow Down, Move Over law is automatically considered a Class A Misdemeanor.
If the violation is classified as a Class A Misdemeanor, the state imposes some standard penalties, though you should know that the context of the accident can influence the final sentence. Assuming no victims are involved and the driver’s only offense is breaking the Move Over law, the driver will receive a fine that will not exceed two thousand dollars and can even expect to spend up to one year in jail.
As you can see, breaking this law has some of the most severe penalties from the entire misdemeanor category. The reason behind these harsh punishments is to prevent drivers from disregarding moving emergency vehicles. Because of their line of work, police cars, ambulances, or fire trucks generally travel at very high speeds. As such, the impact of a collision can have even greater consequences than under other reasonable circumstances.
What Should You Do After a Car Accident?
If you are the victim of a collision with an emergency vehicle or a negligent driver, you should know that the steps to take are similar to those in an auto accident. Stop the car, get out, check for injured parties, call authorities, and await their arrival.
The matters get tricky from here, so you should consider hiring an experienced St. Louis car accident attorney to represent you.
In any case, the victim bears the burden of proving negligence. Your St. Louis car accident attorney must acquire the evidence showing that the collision occurred because of driver negligence.
Even if the collision was caused by an emergency vehicle, you still have the right to compensation if you’ve been injured due to the other driver’s negligence. Call us today at (314) 361-4242 to learn more about what you may be entitled to.
Free Consultation with a St. Louis Car Accident Lawyer
Don’t talk to an insurance claims adjuster before speaking with The Hoffmann Law Firm, L.L.C. We can help you avoid making statements that may affect the outcome of your case. The consultation is free; you don’t pay unless we get you money!